Tea sandwiches are such a fun brunch time snack to serve with or without tea! I like to make these English Tea Finger Sandwiches AHEAD of time when expecting company. It is best to serve them cold (or room temperature) so no fussing with reheating! Traditional tea sandwiches are ideal for afternoon bridal, baby showers or a simple brunch party!
Tea sandwiches are such a fun way to enjoy a late morning or early afternoon tea (or mimosa)! They were created to help stave off hunger until the main meal and they definitely do just that!
Here is more on the history of tea sandwiches.
Now a days, you will see these finger tea sandwiches most often at bridal showers or baby showers!
All recipes for tea sandwiches are cute, fun and perfect for brunch time parties. Oh and did I mention how cost efficient they are to make?
If you’re looking for a great make ahead brunch recipe, try my Turkey Avocado Roll Ups with Thyme Dressing.
What kind of bread do you use for tea sandwiches?
The best kind of bread is your regular thinly sliced bagged sandwich bread in either white or wheat.
If your bread is too thick, the ratio of filling to bread will be off
I like to have a combination of white and wheat sandwich bread when serving my tea sandwiches at a party. The color contrast is more appetizing!
Bonus! Most tea sandwiches are also vegetarian so they will suit almost all of your guests dietary restrictions. An even better idea is to buy gluten free bread so that those who are gluten free will be able to enjoy these too!
Can I make tea sandwiches the night before?
Yes! Just store them in a sealed container in the fridge.
If you are layering your tea sandwiches, place a piece of wax or parchment paper in between so they do not get too soggy or stick to each other.
How to keep tea sandwiches from drying out.
Traditional afternoon tea sandwiches are made using super soft, moist sandwich bread which can and will get very dry if you leave them out for more than an hour or so. Remember, open air is the enemy.
You have two options.
1. Place a damp paper towel or dish cloth over top of your sandwiches until your guests arrive.
How to cut tea sandwiches:
Traditional English tea sandwiches are typically cut into small triangles.
First you need to trim the crust off. Then cut diagonally to make two triangles.
Another option is to cut your sandwiches into long rectangles. You could probably get 3 rectangles from each trimmed sandwich.
2. Keep your sandwiches covered in a large container with a lid until your ready to serve.
What are tea sandwiches made of?
Your traditional tea sandwich is made with a base of either of the following:
- butter
- cream cheese
- mayo
- cheese
Thinly sliced cucumbers are usually the most common item in a tea sandwich in addition to butter or cream cheese.
English Tea Sandwich Recipe Tips:
- By adding a thin layer of butter to your sandwiches, it can help keep your sandwiches from getting too soggy.
- Adding fresh herbs to your tea sandwiches will help elevate them flavor-wise. Dried herbs just wont cut it.
- The right ratio of filling to bread is key.
- Use a mixture of wheat, white and/or rye bread for some subtle but important color and flavor contrast.
- Trim your tea sandwiches neatly so you have perfectly squared edges. (This may mean wasting more bread than you want but the trimmed edges don’t need to go to waste. Let them dry out and then blend in a food processor to make bread crumbs! Store in freezer!)
- Adding a CRUNCH to your tea sandwiches is important! Using cucumbers, radishes, celery, or pickles are great ways to add that crunch factor!
- Use a sharp serrated knife! A serrated knife is one with edges to it. If you don’t use one, you will squish your bread and your sandwiches will look terrible.
- Sometimes it is hard to tell what is inside a tea sandwich. Try topping your sandwiches with something that gives it away. Examples could be some fresh herbs, mini dollop of mayo, or even a pickle slice to help differentiate between them.
These serving platters are PERFECT for serving tea sandwiches!
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Here are some other brunch appetizers you may like:
Puff Pastry Breakfast Cups With Honey Dijon Sauce
Southern Deviled Eggs With Relish
English Tea Finger Sandwiches
English Tea Finger Sandwiches
Ingredients
- 2 Hot House Seedless Cucumbers ((do not peel))
Traditional Cucumber
- 8 Tbsp. Unsalted Butter
- 1 Tsp. Sugar
- 1 Tsp. Fresh Parsley
- 1 Tsp. Fresh Chives
- Salt To taste
- 6 Slices White Sandwich Bread
Greek Tzatziki
- 1/2 Tsp. Minced Garlic
- 1 Cup Plain Whole Greek Yogurt
- 3/4 Tsp. Fresh Dill
- 3/4 Tsp. Fresh Lemon Juice
- Salt To Taste
- 6 Slices White Sandwich Bread
Pimento Cheese
- 4 Oz. Cream Cheese
- 2 Tbsp. Sliced Pimento Peppers ((jarred))
- 1/4 Cup Shredded Cheeses ((Cheddar/Monterey/Colby Jack))
- 1/8 Tsp. Onion Powder
- Salt To taste
- 6 Slices White Sandwich Bread
Instructions
- Prepare each sandwich filling by adding all the ingredients to separate bowls. (3 total) Mix each using a silicone spatula. (they work best!) Keep in mind that using room temperature butter and cream cheese will make mixing much easier!
- Once your 3 fillings are ready, set out your bread slices and start spreading your filling generously onto each side of your bread.
- *Note* I used a TOTAL of 18 slices of bread. I laid out 6 slices for EACH filling. This gave me 3 large sandwiches with EACH filling. (Total of 9.) I then cut each of the 9 finished sandwiches into TWO triangles giving me a total of 18 tea sandwiches triangles to serve or 6 each. If you want to QUARTER your tea sandwiches you can. You should then get twice the amount (36 total).
- Trim the ends of your cucumbers and then cut each into thirds (or half) depending how long your cucumbers are. (The idea is to cut them lengthwise first before you start slicing them down. We want about 4″ chunks so that when we slice them, they fit nicely onto your bread. (See photos). Finally, you can slice each chunk into slices about 1/16″ thick. Your yield will differ than mine depending upon the size of your cucumbers. Aim for about 4-5 slices per sandwich! (See photos for reference!)
Recipe Notes
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These will be perfect for my next dinner party - they’re gorgeous!
Aw thank you for your sweet comment!! I hope you like them!!
Geia sou Aleka
Your recipe ideas are perfect for my book club and other meetings when I want to serve “a little something “. Thank you!
Regards from a GreekAmerican in Athens
Dolores
Geia sou Dolores!! Thank you for your kind comment! 🙂